


A Light From The Shadows...

by TraycSedai



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Alternate Universe - Military, BAMF Legolas Greenleaf, BAMF Sigrid, BAMF Tauriel, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-05-30 08:09:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 8
Words: 17,062
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6415744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TraycSedai/pseuds/TraycSedai
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tauriel "Starlight" Sylvan, Captain in the Mirkwood Special Forces, has been tasked with a top secret black ops mission.  She must retrieve the two heirs to the throne of the Kingdom of Erebor who have been abducted by the evil war criminal Azog Melkor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So...while I have not and will not abandon my other fic, In This Together, this idea wouldn't leave me alone. I like writing stories where my ladies get to be BAMFs :)

The plane was coasting at an altitude of 35,000 feet; just above the range of the radar used for the surface to air missile defenses of the Fort Gundabad prison installation.    This wasn’t Captain Tauriel “Starlight” Sylvan’s first HALO jump, but no matter how much you trained or how psyched up you got, your stomach still ended up in your throat when looking out the open cargo bay door into the dark blue abyss of the night.  This time was no different.  Her team had taken off from Esgaroth Air Base, traveling west into the setting sun, until they reached the border of the Misty Mountains.  They had then turned north towards the drop zone; just over the border in Angmar Province.     

The cold wind was a loud roar in her ears as she glanced at her two companions, illuminated by the red “hold” light above them.  Lieutenants Sigrid “Songbird” Bowman and Legolas “Golden Boy” Greenleaf, were conducting a final check of their gear, inspecting each other’s parachutes and making sure weapons were secured in their proper places.  Both were battle hardened and well versed in high risk snatch and grab jobs such as this would be.   They looked as determined as she felt and Tauriel couldn’t help the swell of pride she felt as she watched them.  

She had first met them both when the three had all been assigned to the small Special Forces sub-unit which had been cobbled together to infiltrate Dol Goldur; an old, and long abandoned, military stronghold in the south of Mirkwood.  Through clandestine means, it had come under the control of a vicious warlord; a terrorist calling himself The Necromancer. 

Their mission, Tauriel’s first in command, had been to rescue a kidnapped ambassador who was being held for ransom.  It had been rumored in the intelligence they had collected for the mission that The Necromancer practiced a form of black magic…and had even delved into cannibalism.  The mission, thankfully, had been successful, with the ambassador restored to his post and The Necromancer slain; but Tauriel’s stomach still churned at the memories of the nightmarish things she had seen and wished she hadn’t.  They haunted her to this day. 

She feared this mission would be similar and quietly hoped they would make it in time…

***

Two days prior, Tauriel had been called off of a long overdue forty-eight hour liberty pass not twelve hours in, and had been ushered into a classified briefing by her CO, Commander Bard “Black Arrow” Dragonsbane.

After taking the proffered seat across from the Commander, Tauriel was directed to the images of two men displayed on the wall mounted flat screen.  They were pictured side by side and although the two were different in appearance, there was something about them that immediately said “brothers”.  The blond man had a full head of neatly combed hair that reached his shoulders; elaborately woven braids on both sides of his head.  Some hung down below his ears, others she could tell, were holding the bulk of his mane, secured together at the back.  She noted that he sported a thick, short beard, and a mustache; also braided and secured with beads at the ends of each side. 

When she looked at the second photo, her heart skipped a beat.  This man had long, wavy dark hair which seemed to reach well past his shoulders.  His dark eyes smoldered and a smile that should be illegal lit his face.  She noted that while he too sported braids, they weren’t nearly doing their office, as stray strands were noticeable all over.  She saw that he had a light dusting of dark stubble gracing his face, but not much in the way of an actual beard.  She was oddly glad at that, asking herself why anyone would want to cover such a handsome visage.  Overall, she felt he had a roguish air about him. _Valar please don’t let him be someone I’m ordered to kill._

“Starlight, what I am about to tell you has been classified at the highest levels and at the moment is known by only a handful of people in the entirety of Arda.  She nodded in understanding. 

“The two men before you are the heirs to the throne of Erebor, Princes Fili and Kili Dwarrow, respectively.  They are King Thorin Oakenshield’s nephews,” he paused, looking to see her reaction. When she stared back at him, wide eyed, he continued.

“Not two hours ago they were abducted; both of them.  Taken from separate locations at the same time in what we believe was a coordinated strike…a first act, if you will, in a larger, long planned plot to assassinate the Line of Durin.”  Tauriel’s jaw dropped at that.  The Kingdom of Erebor was the eastern neighbor to their own country of Mirkwood. 

“We have received intel that they were taken by a group of mercenaries for hire employed by a piece of filth we are all familiar with.”  A new photo flashed up onto the screen, replacing the handsome brothers. 

“Azog Melkor,” she spat, her face contorting into a grimace at the sight of the scarred face belonging to the most notorious mass murderer ever to grace the face of Arda. 

“Indeed,” replied Dragonsbane.

“We believe he is behind the abductions, and although he hasn’t claimed responsibility for it yet, he has always been the most outspoken enemy of Erebor.  Our sources along the northern border have also reported increased activity at Gundabad Fortress and if Melkor does have the Princes, there can be no doubt as to what his intentions must be; he means to end the Line of Durin.  The real question now, is will he use them first to make their uncle and people suffer?  Or are they dead already?” 

“Sir, while I appreciate the severity of the situation…how does Mirkwood factor into this equation?  Surely Erebor will not allow us to interfere in their private State matters.”  The relations between their King, Thranduil and King Thorin of Erebor, while not openly hostile, were also not exactly friendly and the Naugrim were known to be very secretive about their ways and traditions.  Tauriel had heard they had even developed a language only spoken in front of others of their race. 

“Ah, but it is not only Erebor’s concern Starlight. Should the Kingdom Under the Mountain fall, any security Mirkwood had to the east would vanish. What then would stand between us and the lawless lands of Rhun?”   

Tauriel thought about that.  Dragonsbane was right; if Erebor fell, Mirkwood might not be far behind.  At best, it would throw their country into a bloody war that might last years, decades even.  They could not allow that to happen. 

“What is my mission then sir?” as if she didn’t already know what Dragonsbane was going to say. 

“As soon as we receive more conclusive information that Melkor has the Princes, and that they are still alive, you and your team will HALO into Angmar Province and infiltrate the Gundabad installation in an attempt to recover them.  You’ll utilize a closed comm frequency in case our transmissions are being intercepted, and we will be using code names for the two Princes going forward.  Refer to them as the Lion and the Raven. A rescue and recovery helo will be waiting for your extraction a few klicks away.”

“When do we leave?”

“Day after tomorrow, so gather your team and re-familiarize yourselves with the schematics for Gundabad.  There is a transport waiting now to take you to Esgaroth Airfield.”

“Yes sir,” she answered and turned to leave. 

“Starlight, one more thing…”

“Sir?”

“Be careful. This mission is strictly off radar so if anything happens; we won’t be able to come get you…no showboating, understood?”

“Understood,” was her stoic and clipped reply. 

***

Her thoughts surged back to the present as a particularly strong gust of wind whipped around her face.  She gave Songbird and Golden Boy the thumbs up, and as one, all three moved into the ready position and adjusted their dive goggles into place.  Tauriel gave one last check over their closed comm frequency and the others followed suit.  She then saw the greenlight come on and heard the telltale alarm that sounded when conditions were ready for them to jump. 

Tauriel held up her hand and mimed a countdown…1…2…3…

With a running start, they threw themselves out of the airplane silently, one after the other into the darkening twilight sky.    


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally! An update!

When Kili finally came around, his head was pounding.  He could barely open his eyes and on trying to lift his head, the pain was incredible.  His hands, which barely had any feeling, were tied behind his back and he could taste the unmistakable tang of blood in his mouth.  Kili groaned as all at once he was assaulted by fractured memories of what had happened. 

He had been on his way to meet someone; _a girl he had met the night before maybe?_ It was all hazy, like it was something that had happened to someone else.  He _did_ remember that out of nowhere, a cargo van had screamed onto the street he was walking down and at least four or five armed and masked men got out and forced him into the vehicle with them.  He had felt the telltale blow of a gunstock to the side of his head, _no doubt the cause of his current blinding headache_ , but remembered nothing further…until he woke up _here_.  _Wherever_ here _was_ , he thought ruefully.  

There was very little light in the room where he was being held; only a lone window with bars across it showed him it was dark outside.  He could see stars twinkling in the far away velvet ink of the night sky and wondered where they had taken him, how long he had been there…and more importantly, who “they” were.  

At that very moment, he heard a low moan off to his left, alerting him that he was not alone. 

“Who’s there?” he mumbled as best as he could through swollen lips. 

“Ki…it’s me.” came a faint, yet very familiar voice.

“Brother!” he let out a relieved breath he hadn’t known he was holding in. 

“Yes, I’m here…what the _fuck_ is going on little brother?” Fili huffed, sounding tired and battered.  He was also trying to hide a trace of fear in his voice, but Kili could hear it creeping in anyway. 

“I don’t know, but I remember being taken off the street near Nori’s Tavern.  I was on my way to meet…I think…some girl I had met the night before.  That’s right,” he said as the pieces were falling more into place.  “She had bought me a drink and after we chatted a bit, asked if I’d be interested in seeing her again over dinner the next night.  I remember making plans with her to meet at Nori’s; I can’t remember her name now though.  When I was making my way there, five or so goons jumped out of a van, attacked me and apparently kidnapped me; what about you brother?” His head was still throbbing, but his vision was clearing some. 

“The last thing I remember was running in the park.  I’m pretty sure I was hit over the head from behind.  Next thing I know, I wake up here with you...” Fili’s breath caught as he winced in pain. 

“What in Mahal’s name do you think is going on?”

“I have no idea Ki,” was Fili’s reply.  “But whatever it is, it’s bound to be bad.”

***

“Starlight to Black Arrow,” Tauriel whispered into her throat mic.  

“Go ahead,” came the reply in her earpiece. 

“Missed the DZ, but we’re all accounted for and still making for the prize.”

“Glad to hear it. You are a _go_ to proceed on mission. A Thorondor class recovery helo will be awaiting you at the designated rendezvous.  Maintain communications blackout until you have possession of Lion and Raven. Black Arrow out.”

“Understood. Starlight out.”  Tauriel said as she switched her comm device to the local channel she, Sigrid and Legolas had been assigned for the mission.  It was a low enough frequency that it wouldn’t be detected by any of the Gundabad receivers. 

“I think we should take a look at the map to see where we are and then we’re going to have to break out the night vision, Boss,” said Legolas, clearly ready to be on with the mission already; he was always antsy when there was killing to be done.  

“He’s right Star…since we missed the target, due to the unaccounted for wind shear on the nose dive down here, we’ll need to check our position before moving on. We’re lucky we landed in one piece because we’ve dropped in at the edge of some overgrown, rotting copse of trees just to the south of the prison.  From what I could see from the air, it looked to be a couple of klicks wide at least.  Not too big, but it will be too hard to navigate in the dark without specs,” explained Sigrid. 

“Agreed. Songbird, help me unpack the gear and get some flash grenades primed in case there are any surprises.  Golden Boy, conduct a perimeter check to make sure we’re alone out here and I’ll plot us a path.  Everyone make sure the safeties are off,” she said, letting a hint of humor into her voice, as she patted her Mirkwood AR 15 Special.   She said it to ease the tension that was always present at the very start of a mission; it must have worked for she saw two bright smiles appear in the darkness as reply.   Tauriel then set about stowing their silk and inspecting the topo map while Sigrid prepared the grenades.  

***

After consulting the map and her wrist compass, she saw that they were indeed further away from the installation than they had initially planned.   There was an icon on the map indicating a small outbuilding just this side of the perimeter wall of the prison, but it happened to be on the other side of the stand of trees currently in their way.  She decided that the team would make for the building and whatever shelter it might offer from the eyes atop the watch towers she knew to be there. 

Legolas radioed in that he had found nothing on his check, but Tauriel could tell from his voice that all wasn’t as it should be.  When he returned to their position, she asked him about this and he informed her that he found it suspicious he had found nothing…when she asked for clarification, he added that he had found _absolutely_ nothing; no animal tracks or feces, and at that moment, they realized that they could not hear any birds or animal life around them in the trees.  It was odd and disconcerting, but it wasn’t something that would stop their mission, so Tauriel pushed it to the back of her mind for the moment.

On her command, all three donned their NVG’s and set off through the trees as quickly and as quietly as possible. 

***

After Kili had come back to himself a little more and his eyes became acclimated to the relative darkness of the room they were being held in…he could see Fili; perhaps not clearly, but he could see him none the less. Fili’s head was bowed, and he was sitting in a chair, hands bound behind him, same as Kili himself was.  His face looked as battered as Kili’s felt.  _What a pair we are_. _Couldn’t even defend ourselves…when did we get so damned soft?_

At that moment, a door opened across from them; one that neither had noticed before.  A large figure, back lit from light out in what Kili assumed was a hallway, strode into the room.  The figure approached, and before anything could be said, a large fist flew out and belted Fili square in his already badly battered face. 

“Oi! Leave my brother alone you FUCK!” Kili screamed, but all it did was earn him his own heavy smack to the side of the head.  After his ears stopped ringing, Kili could hear the man (he could tell by the timbre of the voice and the strength behind the punch, that it was a very large man indeed) speaking to Fili. 

“I know who you are Princeling.  Why do you think we grabbed you…hmm? Your uncle is going to be sorry he ever let you out of his sight.  When we’re done with you, not even your own mother will recognize you.  You’ll be just another piece of rotting meat left out for the crows.  Now…tell me what I want to know, or your little brother here gets stuck like a squealing piggy ready for slaughter,” the man threatened.   

“You’re going to kill us anyway, so why should I give you what you want?” Fili hissed defiantly through the pain he was surely suffering. 

“Because it will mean a clean separation of your big head from your short little body rather than a slice across your midsection so we can watch your intestines spill out for sport.  Test me Princeling… _please_.  _My blades are itching for royal blood_.”

“Don’t tell him anything Fi!” _Smack!_ Another hard back hand to the head; Kili’s vision went blurry again. 

“C’mon, _Fi_ ,” sneered their captor, “All you have to do is tell me where the Arkenstone is kept and what defenses are used to protect it. I’ll make sure your death is quick.  I won’t say painless though,” he added wickedly. 

Things were fast fading into blackness for Kili…

The last thing he heard before he lost consciousness completely was a dejected Fili…

“ _What do you want to know filth?_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Killing, blood and guts are on the way!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At long last! An update! Also, I will try to get better at replying to comments...even if I don't, please don't think I do not appreciate them because I sure do! I love every one and they really keep me going! :)

As Legolas silently stalked through the woods, on the lookout for any sign of enemy activity, his mind compartmentalized as it usually did and he allowed part of his brain to wander down memory lane as he worked.

He had wanted to be a soldier for as long as he could remember.   His father, the leader of their people, KingThranduil Greenleaf, was a decorated veteran of the Dragon Wars; and had the injuries to prove it. When he was a boy, Thranduil’s idea of a family vacation had consisted of having them dropped off by helo insertion in the middle of Mirkwood Forest proper without food, shelter or a map. He had been allowed only a machete and a compass and was told to find them a way out. He only failed once…the first time; but his father had never let him forget it.

Over the years, Legolas found himself working as hard as he could to be the best, to always succeed…to earn his father’s approval; consequently, he learned the hard way that he was never going to get it. In his attempt to make his son into a super soldier, Legolas felt that Thranduil had irreparably damaged their relationship, or what they may have had of one at some point. But he knew regrets were pointless in this line of work, so Legolas had gutted up and drove himself as hard as he could, for his own benefit, or so he told himself.

Of course, because he was a Greenleaf, he was treated differently than the rest of the rank and file. He had been selected for special ops right out of boot and consequently had not endeared himself to anyone with his quick, and some would say undeserved, ascension up the command ladder. Hence his call sign of "Golden Boy". He felt lucky when he had been assigned with Sigird to Tauriel’s elite sub unit. Together the three of them had been sent into the rotting belly of Dol Goldur. Nothing in his father’s harshest lessons had prepared him for what he had experienced there. For the first time he could remember, his strong stomach turned so violently against him that he had wretched and whimpered like a youngling; though neither of the women had thought any less of him. In the end, somehow, some way, the three of them had come to depend on each other and had survived intact. They found they had developed a rather strong bond and had become an efficient, well-oiled team; together, despite all they had been through, they had come out clean on the other side. Of course, that didn’t mean he didn’t still have nightmares though, and he knew the others did as well.

Legolas continued on in this manner, until the most disgusting stench reached his nose. So rancid in fact, he was hard pressed not to imagine himself back in those decaying dungeons at the old fortress…

All of a sudden, as he was scanning the forest around him for the source of the feculent odor he stepped into a large pile of what felt like… _dog shit?_ He could feel the telltale squish beneath his boot and his stomach lurched as the smell got even stronger in his nostrils.   He leaned into the tree next to him in order to pull his booted foot free of the pile and to get a grip on the nausea starting to take over his body; what he saw then almost made him fall over. On the trunk of the tree were some of the largest, deepest and widest claw marks Legolas had ever seen! He knew of only one animal… _monster really_ …that could make marks like that…

“Golden Boy to Starlight,” he called Tauriel on the comm as soon as his shock abated.

“Go ahead.”

“I’ve found something…and you should see it,” he informed, attempting to keep his tone neutral.

“What’s your position?” she asked.

“A couple hundred paces east of you Starlight.”

“On my way. Songbird, stay on course. Golden Boy and I will rendezvous with you as soon as possible. Don’t move past the tree line until we join you.”

“Understood boss,” was Songbird’s nervously clipped reply.

*** 

Sigrid was sweating, heart racing; it always did at the outset of a mission. The small copse of trees they were currently making their way through was making the hair on the back of her neck stand up. It was eerie…too quiet; the dim green glow through the night vision, never changing. She ran her hand along the silencer attached to the barrel of her rifle to reassure herself and then along the incendiary grenades lined up on her hip. Her large combat knife was strapped to her upper right leg, within easy reach, as it always was and she could feel the comforting, light pressure of the hilt of her throwing dagger, secreted in the pouch of her boot. She was ready; she was always ready, though it never seemed to stop the butterflies in her stomach from attempting to escape.    

“Golden Boy to Starlight,” came the soft call through her ear piece.

"Go ahead,” was Tauriel’s quiet reply.

“I’ve found something…and you should see it,” Legolas said.

“What’s your position?” Tauriel asked.

“A couple hundred paces east of you Starlight.”

“On my way. Songbird, stay on course. Golden Boy and I will rendezvous with you as soon as possible. Don’t move past the tree line until we join you.”

“Understood boss,” was Sigrid’s clipped and efficient response. If Starlight wanted her to wait, then wait she would. She’d known Tauriel a long time now…Legolas too…ever since that awful Dol Goldur mission. She shuddered at the remembrance of the terrible things she had witnessed there.   Her body instantly brought back the sense memories she had tried so hard to shed over the years since but her stomach churned traitorously for a different reason than the butterflies now…

It had been dark and cold in the old fortress as they made their way through the shoddy and broken down dungeons. The air had stunk of bile and human waste; the unmistakable stench of decomp permeating the damp, heavy air. In their attempt to rescue the ambassador, they had opened cell after cell, finding only emaciated, dead bodies; many were missing limbs, and some were so badly damaged, they could barely be identified as human.   As if she were there now, she felt the telltale pool of sick at the back of her throat; there had been so much death, so much suffering. She had been hard pressed at the time to hold back her stomach; similar to how she felt now at just the memory of it.   She pushed the thoughts as far away as she could so she could concentrate on the mission at hand.

***

Sigrid reached the tree line a short while later and immediately took up a surveillance post, sheltered in the low detritus of the copse.   She brought her rifle up and checking through the scope, she could easily see two guard towers within view of her hiding spot. There was a search light on top of each tower, being operated by the mercenary Orc guards that Melkor employed. _Employed…_ that was almost funny _…as if they had much of a choice_.   Melkor was infamously cruel and if he wanted you to work for him, you did so…or he killed your family.   Of course, there was always a segment of the population of Arda willingly drawn to such evil without needing the added incentive of violence against their loved ones, so Sigrid reminded herself not to feel too badly about having to kill any of them.

As she sat there and watched, she timed the sweep of the search lights and found that there was a two minute window where their little team might be able to slip through in the darkness. She also counted how many guards there were. Besides the two manning each light, she observed two walking on top of the perimeter wall, followed by what appeared to be two more fifteen minutes later; all appeared armed to the teeth. There were never more than six guards on this section of the wall at a time however; so no real threat for their squad of three well trained, battle seasoned warriors.

Eyes on her tactical watch, she counted out the minutes again and again as the beams of the spotlights crisscrossed back and forth and pair after pair of guards strolled by on the battlement. She wondered what was keeping Legolas and Tauriel.   She had just decided to radio them when a chorus of howls pierced the silence of the black night, sending a vicious tremor up her spine. _She knew that sound…_

Sigrid didn’t hesitate; she threw her night vision back on and shimmied up the closest, sturdiest tree she could find in the dark. Once steadied, she checked and re-checked her weapons and position, all the while hearing the wild snarls and howls coming closer… _and fast!_

She clicked onto her neck comm to alert her comrades.   “Songbird to Starlight!” she whispered forcefully.

“Songbird?” was the soft reply from Tauriel.

“I have...a situation…”

“We heard the howls. Turns out our intel was incomplete. What’s your position? Are you secure?”

“I can hold for now, but I’ll need extraction. They’re headed my way!”

“Hang on Songbird…we’re on the move!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm...wonder what it could be? Hehehe...


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Terribly sorry for such a delay! But as you are all aware, life does get in the way sometimes...damned job...if only I didn't need food, or...or electricity to power my PC...lol. Anywho...chapter four for your review :)

Legolas could hear the fear in her voice, even though Sigrid was trying desperately to hide it when she had made her last transmission.  She _was_ afraid, though, and Legolas knew she had every right to be.  There had been nothing in the classified reports that their team had been made privy to before departing that had indicated Melkor was breeding War Dogs, or as they were more commonly known in the mercenary underworld, Wargs.   

Utterly vicious and loyal to a fault, a fully grown Warg could take down just about anything at a simple command from its handler.    Born and bred for one purpose, they were efficient and merciless killers, feared by all. Legolas had heard that during the Dragon Wars, before the Treaty of Rhovanion had banned their existence, Wargs had been utilized as torture devices to obtain secrets.  He shuddered at the thought. 

Now, as he and Tauriel swiftly made their way to Sigrid’s location, Legolas began trying to formulate some sort of strategy they could implement against the Wargs; but he kept drawing a blank. 

Tauriel was pacing him on his left and he turned to her as they ran and asked, “Boss, what’s the plan?”

“I was sort of hoping you’d have some ideas.  I’ve never dealt with Wargs before,” she panted out.  “I know they’re tenacious, can track over hundreds of miles and are totally loyal to their handlers…but only to their handlers.”   She was thoughtful for a moment before adding “Think we could use that?”

“Possible, depending on how many were sent out with the pack,” he replied. 

“Well, I know this mission was supposed to be off grid, strictly black ops, but Golden Boy, I’m not planning on losing either of you, so if I have to toss a few incendiary grenades into the mix and announce we’re here, then so be it.  Just because the assets are royalty doesn’t make their lives any more valuable to me than yours.” 

Legolas’ heart swelled at the loyalty Tauriel was showing Sigrid and himself with that statement.  “Let’s just get there before Songbird sings a swan song, yeah?” she added hastily. 

***

As Sigrid sat in her tree waiting, she made sure to douse herself with what was left of her masking agent.  It was usually only supposed to keep them from spooking whatever local wildlife they came across, but she was certain that Alfrid back at the PX wouldn’t mind acquiring a new supply for her on her return.  The cretan was always trying to ingratiate himself with her.  If occasionally that worked in Sigrid’s favor, then so be it. 

All at once, Sigrid was snapped back to the moment when she could hear what sounded like a team of horses (but of course she knew better), pass by her hiding spot.  She caught glimpses of flashlights scanning the tree line below her, catching on silver and black fur as it arced away, and heard snarls and growls accompanied by shouts back and forth between some of the Orcs that were leading the Wargs and the Orcs on the wall above.  The guards on the parapet were reporting that they had not seen any suspicious activity in their zone, at which Sigrid released a breath she hadn’t been aware she was holding in.  If it was just a patrol, they seemed to be satisfied and were moving on, as the noises seemed to be getting further away and she could no longer see the flashlight beams.   

Before she could feel anything like relief however, she became aware of something disturbing the dead leaves and brush very close to her hiding place.  A snuffling grunt alerted her to a Warg that had made its way away from the pack and was now very determinedly inspecting the tree that was her refuge. 

The beast wasn’t aware of her watching it yet, but she knew it was only a matter of time before it became so…and then it would alert all its friends.  _Great._  She re-checked her rifle as quietly as she could manage just as the monster’s fetid stench reached her nose. _Valar!  If its teeth and claws didn’t kill her, certainly the odor would!_ She had to check her gut as it roiled traitorously. 

After what felt like hours, but was in fact only moments, Sigrid heard the telltale sound of a familiar birdcall.  It was Tauriel alerting her that she and Legolas had arrived.  She couldn’t respond without giving herself away but the low noise had sufficiently shifted the Warg’s attention away from her for the precious seconds she needed.  Silently she leveled her rifle at the Warg and after taking aim and sighting her target, Sigrid loosed one bullet into his large, ugly head from her spot above.  The animal didn’t even have time to make a noise, just hit the ground with a loud thud.  She paused for a tense few moments to make sure her actions hadn’t drawn the notice of anyone else, and then allowed herself a tiny relieved exhale before repelling from her perch.    

***

Tauriel watched as the light went out of the Warg’s cold yellow eyes; as life, or whatever facsimile counted as such for the retched creature before her, left its body.  After it was dead, she braced her senses and walked over to examine the carcass.   It was huge.  If it had been standing on its leg’s, its head would have easily reached her collar bones.  It was wide too; as large as three of her across.  Its large teeth? Clearly razor sharp and covered with saliva she knew to be poisonous.  Kneeling, she took a small glass vial from her pocket and collected a sample of the substance as it dripped off of an incisor.  She answered Sigrid’s questioning look, “If Melkor is breeding Wargs, then our people need to know what we’re up against here.”  Sigrid nodded her understanding. 

After the vial was placed securely into a cushioned pocket of her TAC vest,  Tauriel stood and made her way to her companions who had moved up wind from the dead animal.  Shouldering her rifle, she placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

“This doesn’t change anything.  We still have two wayward princelings to find and rescue.  I’ll allow a few minutes for us to regroup and ammo up but then we’ll be off.  We need to leave before the Warg Songbird killed is missed. In the meantime,” and here she turned to Sigrid, “tell me about your recon before we were so rudely side tracked by a bunch of vicious tank sized dogs.”  Tauriel had always had a way with words and it was working now as she saw the beginnings of a grin on Sigrid’s face. 

“You got it boss.”  She then relayed to Tauriel and Legolas all that she had observed regarding the patterns of the guards on top of the security wall. 

“But now we have to factor in the frequency of that Warg pack, too,” said Legolas as Sigrid finished her briefing.  “We barely managed to go unnoticed this time.  Do you think it will be any easier with two, possibly wounded civvies with us on the return trip?”  Legolas asked as they donned their climbing claws. 

“We have to find them first Golden Boy,” was all Tauriel replied. 

“I do hate to interrupt, but if we want to make it over the wall, now’s the time.  We only have two full minutes of darkness to do it so let’s move,” Sigrid said, her tone impatient. 

NVGs properly in place, weapons at the ready, Tauriel gave the silent command to proceed and they ran from the tree line to the side of the wall and began climbing…silent and quick in the shadows. 

***

Fili could feel the warm blood as it flowed freely from the slash in his forehead, down into his eyes and then still further, making its way into his mouth past his bruised and swollen lips.   It had been hours, and his hands were still painfully secured behind his back, ropes digging into his wrists.  He was sure they were bleeding too. 

_The Arkenstone._

That had taken Fili by surprise.  The stone was a national treasure, certainly; supposedly bestowed upon the first King Durin by the Creator and symbolized his family’s right to rule their people.  But what Fili couldn’t figure out, was what anyone would want with what was essentially just an old rock.  Of course it was priceless, but it wasn’t like you could steal it and then openly sell it.  It would draw too much attention.  _It was on display in the national museum for crying out loud!_   School kids viewed it daily in their efforts to learn about their heritage.  What did this filth mean by asking where it was kept? 

He had made up what he felt was a plausible lie on the spot about it being secured in some secret government location in order to stall for time and to get the hulking brute asking the questions away from his baby brother; who he now painfully realized had been unconscious all this time.  The man had been skeptical when Fili started talking, but eventually focused his attention away from Kili, and that was all Fili could ask in the moment.    Now though, with the BFA (the Big Fucking Asshat, as Fili had taken to calling the man in his head) gone for the moment, Fili had to make sure his brother was still with him. 

As best he could, he tilted his head in the direction he knew Kili to be and though his vision was blurry from all the blood, he saw his brother and cheered silently to himself when he observed the regular rise and fall of Kili’s chest, indicating his brother was still breathing, albeit labored and ragged.  Softly, he called his brother’s name. 

No response. 

Again; slightly louder this time, “Kili.”

Nothing.

He said it one last time as loud as he dared and for his efforts, received an acknowledging grunt from Kili. 

_Thank Mahal!_

“F..Fili?”

“Brother! Are you still with me?” he asked quietly.

“Yeah…I’m here Fi," Kili responded, his voice pained.  "Been able to determine where “here” is yet?”

“Not yet, but if he comes back, just keep your mouth shut yeah? Trouble maker,” Fili replied, unable to hide his  relief or his fondness for his younger sibling. “Don’t you dare leave me to have to explain to our mother how I let you die…understand?”

“Yeah,” Kili gave a small chuckle that ended in a grimace, “I get it.” 

“Now, when he comes back, you let me do all the talking.  I may have a plan. And before you can argue, no, I’m not going to tell you all of it…plausible deniability and all; but part of it is that I think going forward, when we speak, we should use Khuzdul.” 

“What?!” was Kili’s stunned reply.

Fili knew they were never to even admit to the existence of, never mind _use_ the ancient and secret language of their people outside of their kingdom, but desperate times called for desperate measures and he and Kili needed a way to communicate that no one else would be able to understand.  Khuzdul seemed ready made for the purpose and for the first time ever, Fili wondered at that.  He knew his people had a bloody past; Mahal only knew how many history lessons he had sat through, all detailing one battle after another, but never had he thought of their mother tongue as possibly having been developed as a military strategy.  _Pretty fucking genius if that was the case…_

“You heard me little brother,” was Fili’s reply as he switched from the common speech into their native language with the ease of long years of practice.  “Think about it…we need to be able to talk to one another and we have no idea if we are under any kind of surveillance while we’re all alone in here.  We must assume that we are.  I can also guarantee you that they have never heard a word of Khuzdul before.  We have to use what we've got Ki.” 

Kili begrudgingly nodded his head in understanding.  “I just hope you know what you’re doing brother.”   His answer was in  Khuzdul though, so Fili took that as a sign to proceed with forming his plan.    He had no idea what he was doing, but he certainly wasn’t going to worry his brother further by bothering him with that small, little detail. 

The first thing they needed to learn was who was holding them and where they were.  The brothers then settled into a quiet conversation attempting to remember every detail they could about the BFA and the things he had said to them.  Kili also had no idea what the man might want with the Arkenstone, agreeing with Fili that while it was important to their country’s heritage, it was too obvious a target to be taken seriously.   

“It’s just a rock.  I don’t get it.” Kili said, confusion apparent. 

Fili froze suddenly as he replayed that statement through his mind.  _It’s just a rock_ …  But was it really?  Khuzdul certainly hadn’t been a secret military language to him until just a little while ago…perhaps there was more to the stone.  _Surely something to think about._

“I don’t either Ki…I don’t either.”  He would keep his suspicions to himself for the moment; like he had said to Kili earlier… _plausible deniability_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So hopefully that was enjoyable and I will try not to take so long between updates next time! Thanks to all who read, leave kudos and comment! It is greatly appreciated :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little unmitigated violence and some playful banter between our soldiers :)

The plan once they reached the top of the curtain wall, was for Tauriel to take the two guards stationed in the left guard tower and Legolas and Sigrid would handle the two on the right; and would also handle any additional guards that might happen along, since Sigrid had reported that the circuit the mobile guards were making originated from the direction of the right side tower.

Once the others were on their way, Tauriel slid over the balustrade, staying low and sticking to the shadows to remain unseen. The guard towers were far enough apart that you couldn’t see clearly from one to the other in the darkness.   As she made her way towards her assigned tower, she noticed that the two Orcs were both inside, one seated, the other looking over his shoulder; they were engrossed in something that was apparently more interesting than the surrounding woods.

She approached the open entry way into the small guardroom and held her position against the wall for a moment, listening as the two guards bantered back and forth, speaking in a low, guttural language she recognized as Black Speech. Tauriel wasn’t a linguist, but over the years she had fought alongside of and against many soldiers from many nations and had picked up some bits and pieces of their different languages. She caught words like “weak” and “prisoners” and more disturbing than anything else “ultimate weapon”.   When she peeked around the doorframe, she saw the two were now pointing and laughing at something on a bank of video monitors. Both the men were turned away from her and she took the opportunity that presented itself.

***

As stealthily as possible, Tauriel stalked into the room, coming at the guards from behind. She grabbed the one that was standing, first, placing her hands on either side of his head and twisting hard and fast until she felt his neck snap and he went limp, collapsing in a pile on the ground. Before the seated guard could react, she cut off whatever sound he was about to make as she stabbed her tactical knife deep into his throat, severing his jugular vein in one clean slice; she’d had to move fast and wanted to save her bullets and crossbow bolts for more difficult targets.   She then quickly moved both bodies so that they would not be directly visible from either side of the tower and sat down at the computer terminal they had been too busy with to notice her approach. _Fools._ They’d paid for their inattention with their lives.

The screens were showing real time views of various areas of the facility and she noticed one appeared to be a feed from an infrared camera placed in some sort of holding cell.   She could see two figures, slumped over in chairs, their hands clearly tied behind their backs, their faces bloodied. Through the obvious swelling on their faces (the two had apparently taken a beating) Tauriel recognized the two, as those her team was seeking and immediately attempted to discover where the signal was emanating from. The label under the monitor showing the two princes read “Interrogation #1” ( _wherever that was)_ written in a crude hand. She glanced around for anything that might help orient her team to the layout of the prison. They had some idea already, having been provided with the best intel Erebor and Mirkwood could jointly provide; but she knew now, thanks to the incident with the Wargs, that the information they had was sorely lacking.

She was able to locate an old layout for the entire campus of buildings on the wall, in the form of a “You Are Here” sign. Even though it was from the property’s use as a legitimate prison years ago, someone had (rather helpfully) taken the time to mark the names of the re-purposed areas with a red marker of some sort. _At least she hoped it had been marker…_

She saw an offshoot wing to the east of her current location on the diagram and “Interrogation” was written over the original words “Solitary Confinement”.    Her gaze stopped on another outbuilding on the map that apparently used to house the prison’s motor pool. The same red lettering appeared on this building, re-labeling it “Weapons Testing”.

Before departing the little guard room, she made a final sweep for anything else that might aid them in their endeavor and was able to confiscate a radio from one of the Orcs she had terminated. She fished out a clean earbud from her vest and plugged it into the device, popping the earpiece into the ear that did not contain her mission comm. She then exited the guardroom the way she had come, striding purposefully to meet Sigrid and Legolas in the middle where they had come up the wall; she crouched into deep shadow to wait for them.

***

Sigrid didn’t mind killing. Not really; certainly not when it was a choice between her life and someone else’s. But she had a code she lived by and would not take life needlessly. She reasoned to herself that this was what kept her and her companions morally above those they fought against. Where the enemy had no scruples, their team fought with honor for the greater good. A niggling little voice at the back of her mind murmured to her however, that terrorists too, fought for what _they_ believed to be the greater good, and that it was only the winner who got to write the histories, who determined what was what after the chips had fallen. She tamped that thought down as she readied her rifle once again and sited her targets.

She was tucked just behind a supply crate that was situated outside of the tower proper, about 20 feet from the entrance to the guard room with an unobstructed view of the interior; perfect for short range sniping. Legolas had moved on ahead towards the opening into the tower’s guardroom and was now plastered flush against the wall listening for any opening they could exploit.  

The two had sat together and had surveyed their quarry, deciding on a plan of approach. There were three guards inside, all sitting around a table. From her scope, Sigrid could see they were engaged in some sort of card game. A fourth place had cards sitting in front of it, but no guard. They waited several minutes, but the fourth guard did not appear. After a few minutes more, Legolas volunteered himself for the close range work, reminding Sigrid that he was fluent in Black Speech and might be able to glean something valuable from their conversation before the two of them struck. When Sigrid protested he was taking too much on himself, he reminded her that she was their best marksman and that he needed her watching his back. She relented, but silently determined to take out two of the guards with her rifle before Legolas could even enter the room. She wouldn’t send him in there against three, possibly four enemies by himself.  

Now, as she watched him, Legolas was inching closer and closer to the open doorway. He was just about to give her the signal to engage, when Sigrid saw the missing fourth guard entering the room from the doorway leading out to the continuation of the wall on the other side. Legolas must have been alerted to the newcomer’s presence as well, because instead of issuing the agreed upon signal to attack, he flipped his hand palm out, advising Sigrid to hold. She watched, as Legolas continued to listen…

***

Legolas could hear the fourth guard as he lumbered back into the room. He was glad that the Orc had returned before he and Sigrid began their assault… _one less loose end._ The conversation in the room, up to this point had consisted of an argument over which was the best way to cook Crebain and whether or not the kitchen slaves had gotten into the stores of ale and if so, the best ways to punish them for it. The addition of the fourth guard brought a new topic of discussion…

“Well it’s about time ya lazy slug. We’d just about given up on ya,” was the comment from one of the sitting Orcs.

“Shut yer trap scab. Had to piss and ran into Shram and Glosh on their circuit. Told ‘em all was clear and to shove off back the way they came,” snarled the new arrival.  

“Whenever you shire rats are done pokin’ at each other, we got a game to finish here,” interjected a third. “And I’d like to win my money before those two dung piles make their way back around from the other side.”

“Yeah, yeah, keep yer sac in yer hand. We’re playin, we’re playin…” the first one again.

“Hey,” the so far silent fourth guard. “You hear Melkor’s lettin Bolg cut his teeth on the Dwarf scum? I bet he’s got ‘em crying for their mam already.”

Legolas tensed. Bolg was Azog’s son and if rumors were to be believed, the word scary would be an understatement; _Legolas believed._

“I heard… _I_ still can’t believe how easy it was to take ‘em,” Mr. Pee Break. “Heard they got the young one with some pretty bait; paid a prostitute to lure him in. The older one, they took him while he was runnin in the park, music so loud in his ears, he didn’t hear shit. Ran up right behind him and crack! Right to the back of the head.”

“Think Erebor will try and take ‘em back?” Legolas couldn’t tell who asked.

“Think that’s what Melkor’s countin on,” Pee Break again. “Said he’ll break ‘em to get more information about the Arkenstone first though.”    

_The Arkenstone?_

“Oi! Game! You louts’ got money on the table! Pay fuckin’ attention!” Mr. Really Wants To Play.

After some grumbled curses around the table, they settled back to their game and Legolas waited only a few moments before unsheathing his knives and giving Sigrid the go ahead. He waited until he heard two bullets wiz by him almost silently, then he made his way into the room as quickly as he could.

The first thing he saw was not what he had been expecting. Instead of just the expected two, it was _three_ guards who were already sitting slumped at the table, dead. The fourth, was so shocked, he was just sitting there, staring around the table at his mates. Legolas wasted no time. He moved to the guard and with only a slight flourish of his knives, quickly separated the Orc’s head from his body. None of the guards had cried out; Sigrid’s shots had been made through her silencer and Legolas’ slash had been clean. No movements wasted.

As Sigrid joined him in the guard room to conduct some recon, he smiled up at her. “Holy shit! How on Arda did you manage to kill three Orcs with two rounds may I ask?”

“Well,” she began, lips tilted up in a proud grin, “I knew I only had two shots before you would be entering, so I had to make them count.   I figured I’d target the one sitting closest to our side of the tower first and then aim for the Orc on the right, because I didn’t have a clear shot of the one on the left, and you would be entering from my left side as well, so....”

“Still doesn’t explain…”

“You haven’t let me finish!” she hissed playfully. “So I aimed my first shot for the guy closest to us, yeah? Well, the bullets, which may or may not be of my own special manufacture,” and here she winked at him, “are rated to punch through two feet of solid concrete. So, yeah…I shot at the first guy and…double bonus! It was a through and through…through the first and then through the second! Second bullet went to the waste of space on the right and then you mopped up the rest.”

“You know, sometimes I forget you’re so deadly…it’s kinda scary,” Legolas said fondly.  

“You love me,” Sigrid beamed, whacking him on the arm.

“Hey…Starlight and I have to! We’d never want you mad at _us_!”

Sigrid giggled quietly and the two went back to searching the tower room. “Speaking of Starlight, she must be waiting for us by now.”

“I’m sure she is…just a minute more though…” Legolas said as he wrestled with a large set of keys hanging from the belt of one of the guards. He was able to detach them and put them snugly in a pocket of his vest.   He nodded to Sigrid and the two made their way quietly to rendezvous with Tauriel.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So our rescuers are getting closer to their quarry! Next time we check in with Kili and Fili :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 6 for your pleasure :) Sorry for the delay...there are no excuses...just life :) But...I made this one a little longer for the inconvenience of the wait! Enjoy!

Kili had been fighting unconsciousness for what seemed like hours now.  He had resisted sleep with all he had because when he was out, he was inundated by the strangest of dreams.  It wasn’t that they were unpleasant; in fact, far from it.  Every time exhaustion took him, he was visited by a tall, flame haired apparition dressed in a very light, almost sheer, flowing gown.  She _…for the vision before him was most certainly a woman…_ had long red tresses flickering out like fire around her face as if she were standing in a gust of wind and a bright light that Kili could not determine the source of, seemed to surround her as she called to him.  She beckoned for him to take her outstretched hand, telling him without words, that everything would be alright.   _No_ , he wasn’t trying to stay awake because he was afraid of the woman; when he was dreaming, her presence made him feel warm all over and he truly believed that if he went with her, as she wanted, things would in fact be alright.  He was fighting it because he was afraid of _why_ she was there in the first place.  Was she an Angel sent to pluck him from this life and spare him more pain at the hands of their captors? Had she come to take him home to the halls of his ancestors?  Or was she just his mind indulging in wishful thinking due to the situation he and Fili currently found themselves in? Kili was not ready to have answers to those questions, and so here he was, desperately drained and barely able to keep his wits about him. 

His arms were achingly numb and the rest of him wasn’t faring much better.   Kili idly wondered if he would be recognizable to anyone, including himself, through all the cuts and bruises he knew his face, head and chest were littered with.  He could still taste the bitter, metallic tang of blood every time he swallowed; it hurt to breath. 

Putting his thoughts about his dreams on the back burner, he craned his neck ever so slightly, which caused a shock of pain that traveled throughout his body, in order to check on his brother.  He saw that Fili was still out cold; but thankfully still breathing.  The BFA had come back, just as Fili had predicted he would, and they had followed their initial plan and Fili had done all the talking.  _Well, not_ all _the talking…_

The man had repeatedly threatened Kili’s wellbeing but when that didn’t yield the results he was seeking, he had pummeled Fili something fierce.   The man’s attack against his older brother had been so vicious, Kili had screamed himself hoarse and had almost dislocated his shoulder in a violent attempt to free himself and go after the man; hating the filth more and more every second Fili was at his mercy.   When Fili had finally, blessedly passed out, the man had turned to start working on Kili, but a knock on the door stopped him in his tracks.   Kili had listened intently as the BFA seemed to get some bad news:

“What is it?!  I told you I was not to be bothered!” the large man bellowed at the intrusion. 

“Bolg, we may have a…a situation…” was the muffled reply from the hallway; Kili could hear fear in the voice of the speaker. 

_So the BFA had a name…Bolg…_

At this the man, Bolg, loped to the door and yanked it open hard enough that the hinges groaned, before coming face to face with the messenger;  who Kili watched visibly pale at being confronted by the bigger man. 

“What do you mean…a _situation_?” growled Bolg. 

“A patrol that had been missing one of its Wargs, found it dead at the edge of the forest...”

“Animals die all the time!  Do **_not_** tell me you interrupted me just for this.”

“Aye, no…no you’re right, animals do die all the time… _but usually not from gunshots to the head_ ,” was the rushed reply from the subordinate. 

“ ** _What!?_**   When did this happen?” Kili watched as Bolg’s face twisted into a nasty scowl. 

“They found the carcass not half an hour ago.  The handlers said it’s been dead for hours though.”

“Did we recover any rounds?”

“Aye…the bullet was recovered from the ground beneath the body.”

“ _The_ bullet? As in singular? You’re trying to tell me that _one bullet_ took down one of our Wargs?” Bolg asked, incredulous; his face turning a violent shade of puce in his anger, his eyes going wide. 

“One bullet, yes.”

“Manufacturer of origin?”

“Un-unknown,” was the hesitant reply from the underling. 

“What do you mean _unknown_?! How can it be _unknown_?!  My father employs the best weapons specialists in all of Arda!” Bolg was all but screaming now. 

 _Who was his father?_ Kili wondered. 

“I know…I know!  But all the lab rats can tell is that it’s custom made and they’ve never seen bullets like this.  All evidence points to a special job.”

“And you said it was recovered from the ground under the Warg?”

“Yes …went right through the skull and lodged itself in the ground underneath.  Trajectory suggests the shooter was above the animal.”

“I want this entire compound searched from top to bottom, do you understand me?” Bolg demanded. 

“Shall we sound the alarm?”

“No!  We will take care of this quietly before my father returns; he doesn’t need to deal with minor situations like this.”

“But Azog will want to know about this Bolg…” argued the subordinate. 

 _Azog?_ Mahal! Kili’s blood had gone cold at the name and he knew where they were then. 

“When my father is away, your orders come from **_me_**! Understand? And I say this is to be handled quietly and below the radar.  No one is to suspect that this facility has been compromised.  Do I make myself clear?” Bolg spat. 

“Yes sir.  Understood.  I’ll organize a search team; men I know are loyal.”

“I want the shooter found and dead in less than an hour.  _Less than an hour!_ If you come back and don’t have a dead body in tow, it’s _your_ life,” Bolg’s tone brooking no opposition. 

“Understood.”  

Kili thought the smaller man looked ready to piss himself at Bolg’s promise, but he turned on his heel and left.  Bolg himself left the room in a highly aggravated state shortly thereafter promising Kili he’d be back to “finish the job”. 

***

The conversation Kili had heard simultaneously scared the shit out of him _and_ gave him hope.  He now knew who was holding them and most likely where they were being held, but he also knew about Wargs; and that knowledge was… _was scary as fuck…_ if he was being honest. 

The hope that Kili felt came from hearing that one of the Wargs had been found dead and knowing that it wouldn’t have killed itself, especially by gunshot.  He knew that someone had been sent to retrieve him and Fili...but Erebor didn’t have the kind of weaponry the man had been describing.  Nothing he knew of could take down a full grown Warg with one bullet; which then begged the question, if not Erebor, then who?  Kili was glad however, that he had some actual, usable information to convey to Fili when he finally came around.    He batted down the small voice in the back of his mind which whispered traitorously to him: _If he comes around…_

***

Tauriel and her team had so far come across very little resistance as they had made their way across the prison yard from where they had descended from the wall, on their way to the building that housed the interrogation rooms.  But now they were forced to hold their position as two guards had seated themselves on some empty crates near Legolas’ nominal hiding place in the middle of the compound yard to eat and chatter together about their day.   

Legolas, who was only marginally hidden behind a grouping of barrels near the two, reported quietly through his comm that he had gleaned nothing from them that the team wasn’t already aware of and so it became a frustrating exercise of patience as they would have to just sit and wait.  Tauriel had already discounted killing them, as much as that would have been the fastest way, as the guards were much too exposed where they were seated for them to be dealt with in the same manner as their comrades on the wall; and she wasn’t ready to reveal her team’s presence here yet.   

As the minutes ticked by, her nerves started to grate at her.  Would they make it in time?  Could they really save the princes from the evils here?  Would it matter?  Men like Azog Melkor and his son Bolg were never down for long; and if they fell at all, others would just step up eagerly into their place, she knew.  She shook herself slightly to bring her focus back to the now and thought how badly she just wanted this mission over with…and soon.    Each second they were delayed was one they wouldn’t have when trying to reach the extraction point.  She wondered who would be piloting the rescue helo, hoping it was someone familiar with her and her team’s methods.  With the potential of a pack of Wargs to deal with now, they would need a steely-eyed pilot with some serious cojones to get them out. 

Tauriel had decided that it would be more efficient if she and Sigrid and Legolas all proceeded together to the interrogation wing, since they had very little idea as to what condition they would find the two princes in and it might require all three of them to get the two to safety.  She would station Songbird above, perhaps on the roof, with her deadly aim and wicked bullets.  Legolas would accompany her into the belly of the beast, as the strongest, physically, of the three of them.  His strength might prove invaluable should the princes be unconscious upon their recovery. 

The monitors in the tower room that Tauriel had seen were grainy in quality, at best, but she could tell the two royals had been badly beaten.  She hoped that they were as resilient as their people were rumored to be.  They would need all the strength they could muster to get out of this with their lives; _if they could be reached in time._  She glanced over and caught Sigrid’s eye; she too was worried they would be too late.

***

“Boss, we have movement,” Legolas finally whispered to Tauriel over the comm.   Sigrid’s spirits rose as it meant they were finally able to continue on mission.  It had been a long wait and every moment that slipped by was nothing more than wasted time.  They needed to find the princes and get out of this place as fast as possible, preferably before they could be found out.  They had taken pains to hide the bodies of the kills they had already made, but not so well that it wouldn’t eventually be discovered.  Sigrid hoped they would be back over the wall by that time, but this delay was cutting into what precious time they had left before they were to be at the rendezvous. 

When they had regrouped with Tauriel after they had secured the two tower guard rooms, she had reported to Sigrid and Legolas what she had seen on the video monitors and that she knew where the princes were being held.  Sigrid had said a silent prayer to the Valar to keep the two safe until they could reach them.  She had never met either prince; none of them had.  But they had all read the dossiers prepared by Mirkwood Intelligence for each brother. 

The younger, Prince Kili, was something of a playboy, never settling into anything serious with anyone and was quite a favorite with the tabloids.  He was handsome, certainly, but Sigrid felt that his eyes, and the knowing smirk he sported in many of the photos she saw, betrayed a higher level of intelligence than the information in the file suggested he outwardly displayed.  His entire person had the air of one who puts others instantly at ease and she felt she would like him immediately upon meeting him in person.   

Prince Fili was as handsome as his brother, but where the younger was dark in coloring, the older was all light and golden hues.  She learned that he had a military background, which, she supposed was required for him as one day he would be expected to serve his country as King and as Commander of his people’s military forces.  He had graduated with top honors from Erebor’s military academy, the prestigious institution known as Moria. 

Sigrid was truly impressed however, when she saw that he had gone on to become an Explosive Ordinance Disposal Tech, knowing that EOD training was akin to what her own had been when joining the Special Forces; in a word… _intense_ …and that was putting it mildly.   She saw that he was also always coming to his brother’s rescue, in one manner or another.  There were mentions of a few physical altercations over gambling debts and a night or two in the local town lock up, but nothing overly serious.  Actually, all that she read about him smacked of “dutiful, responsible, older sibling”.   Sigrid knew that she and he would have similar personalities, as her thoughts had drifted naturally to her own younger siblings; Bain away doing his residency and Tilda off at her last year of university.   She loved her brother and sister fiercely and could tell from the information in front of her that the man she was going to help rescue was the same. 

Altogether, she felt he had a rugged, strong look about him; the look of a true leader.  If they hadn’t been from two entirely different worlds, and he hadn’t been royalty, she felt he might have been someone she would have looked at twice.  But it was what it was; and they were… _and he was…_

At the moment though, she needed to concentrate on finding him and getting him and his brother to safety.  She had a job to do and now that the Orcs were moving away, they could get on with what they came to do.  She shared a nervous but hopeful look with Tauriel and the two cautiously moved up to Legolas’ position.

***

The two guards were finally moving away from their makeshift employee lounge and Legolas breathed out a soft sigh of relief. 

“Boss, we have movement,” he breathed into his comm. 

He sat back on his heels and braced himself on the barrel next to him.  Now that they were to be moving again, that ever present bubble consisting of excitement and anticipation came back with a vengeance.  He took a few steadying deep breaths and squared his shoulders, readying himself for the next phase of their operation. 

A few short moments later, Tauriel and Sigrid joined him and the three moved together into deeper shadow.  Tauriel took out a map and illuminated it with her wrist light.

“Songbird, I’ll need you on the roof here,” and she pointed to the building they had determined the princes were being held in.  “You are the best and, let’s face it, _deadliest_ marksman on the team, so I need you on point.” Legolas had quickly bragged to Tauriel about Sigrid’s feat with the two bullets and three Orcs when the three had regrouped before heading down into the yard.  He regretted that now, as it meant she would be the most exposed out on that roof if something were to go wrong. 

“Understood Starlight,” she replied stoically, a look of pride showing on her face at the recognition of her superior skills.

“Golden Boy, as discussed, you and I will enter here,” and her finger landed on the side of the wing where there was a loading dock.  He noticed then that it was the side closest to the building that had been relabeled “Weapons Testing”.  Legolas didn’t even want to think about what that meant, having seen firsthand the Wargs they were breeding here.   

“Once we retrieve Raven and Lion, Golden Boy and I will escort them out the way we came in, and Songbird, you will exit the roof on this side, providing cover fire if necessary,” finger hovering now over the side that faced the wall they would be climbing in order to reach the extraction point.  “All of this assumes that Raven and Lion will be able to help us, help them.  If that isn’t the case, well, then we reassess.  For now, this is what we can do. Silencers on?” 

Legolas nodded his head in acknowledgement, and saw Sigrid do the same.  Just before they headed off in their different directions, Sigrid reached into her utility belt and pulled out two full magazines, handing one each to Tauriel and Legolas. 

“The mercs here mean business.  Let’s show them we do too,” she said softly. 

“Are these…” he began, in slight wonder.   

“Yes.  Use them wisely because they’re all I brought of those,” said Sigrid.  “We need every edge we can get and Lion and Raven need us on our A game.  When we shoot, let’s make sure it’s to kill.”  Legolas caught the gleam in her eye and knew she would be alright.  Sigrid could more than handle her business and he couldn’t suppress his smile at the thought. 

He took the ammo without question and as quietly as possible, loaded it into his weapon, placing his unused, standard ammo magazine on his belt. 

“You know I love you right?” he asked her playfully.  She flashed him and Tauriel a bright smile and skittered off to get into position. 

“You shouldn’t encourage her,” Tauriel whispered fondly, a small smile on her own face.  Legolas smirked back as he noticed that she had loaded _her_ rifle with Sigrid’s gift as well.  The two then quickly and quietly made their way towards the target and into the unknown. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Logistics do not come naturally to me so this chapter was more difficult to write and took longer than I expected. Hopefully it makes sense and then next time we can get back to the team putting the hurt on some Orcs :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that it's been so long! I haven't abandoned this work! Just busy...what's new right? :) If you're still reading...thank you!

When Fili finally came to, he immediately wished he hadn’t.  Pain erupted all over his body and he promptly vomited all over himself and the floor in front of him. 

“Brother! Oh Mahal!” came the shout from a still, blessedly conscious Kili.  _Thank the Maker_ , Fili thought as he gasped for breath.  His throat burned from the bile he had expelled, but he replied to his baby brother all the same.

“It’s ok Ki…I’ll be alright,” he lied hopefully.  “What’d I miss?” he asked, unable to settle his stomach or the spinning quality the room had taken on. 

“Well,” Kili began slowly, “I’m pretty sure I know where we are.”

There was a tone to Kili’s voice that Fili recognized immediately as one he used when he was trying to act unafraid.  After a moment of silence, in which Fili thought he may have zoned out again, he prompted his brother to continue.

“Well? Spill it then,” he groaned.

“You’re not gonna like it,” Kili said.   

“Whether I like it or not isn’t going to change facts brother…out with it,” he replied impatiently. 

“Well, I think we’re being held in Gundabad Prison,” Kili dead panned without any further hesitance. 

_Mahal!  Gundabad Prison!? But then that would mean…_

“Azog Melkor,” Fili spat in reply. 

“You got it.  The BFA is his son.  While you were out a lackey came to relay a message and called him Bolg and then mentioned Azog and the BFA called him his father.”

“Didn’t know filth like Melkor could reproduce,” Fili muttered darkly. 

“Yeah, don’t wanna know how that’s even possible, but the schmuck who interrupted him had an interesting story to tell.”

“Well, don’t leave me in suspense brother.”

“First, I’m afraid I have some rather fucked up news; they’re breeding War Dogs here brother,” Kili said; this time, an unmistakable trace of fear entering his voice. 

Fili froze.  “No shit?”

“I shit you not big brother,” was Kili’s humorless answer.  “Wargs.  And you can bet they’re nasty ones at that!”

“Never heard of a Warg that wasn’t Ki. Continue…”

“Well, Mr. Underling advised Bolg that one of the beasts had been killed.  At first Bolg was all ‘Blah blah blah, you bothered me for that?’ But Mr. Almost Wet His Pants went on; he said that the creature had been taken down with only one bullet to the head and that they had recovered the slug from the ground under the carcass.”

Kili didn’t say anything else, clearly waiting to see if Fili reached the same conclusion that he had.   It only took a minute, but his tired brain finally caught up with what Kili had told him. 

“Someone’s been sent for us,” Fili said with confidence. 

“That’s what I figure too, except…” and here he trailed off. 

“Except what Ki?”

“Last I knew, our military doesn’t have weapons like that,” Kili began “And Boot Licker said their specialists had no idea who might either.  Bolg was furious, going on and on about how Azog has the best weapons people that threats and money could manage.” 

“Your point Ki?” and here, the spinning room was starting to seriously turn Fili’s stomach again. 

“My point, oh wise and exalted future King, is that if our people haven’t come to get us, then who has?”

Immediately, the thought came that perhaps he didn’t want to know.  Maybe whoever was coming for them was worse than Azog.  A single bullet taking out a fully grown Warg was unheard of; Fili knew from years of studying tactics and strategy.  The fact that someone had developed a weapon (or maybe it was just special ammo), to do such a thing was a scary proposition. 

“You know what Kili?  I don’t fucking care who it is,” he decided after only a moment’s thought.  “As long as they can help us get the hell out of here, it doesn’t matter,” he said pointedly.  “We still aren’t even one hundred percent sure that that is what’s happening.” 

“I think that’s exactly what’s happening Fi. Right after the message was delivered, Bolg ordered the shooter found and killed.  He left shortly after the messenger and hasn’t been back.” 

“Well then.  Do we just sit and wait?  Or can we try to help them help us?” he asked Kili. 

“One last piece of info I was able to glean was that Azog himself seems to be away and Bolg is in charge.  Whether it was pride or fear of his father that had him stay the alarm, they’re still out there looking for their trespasser; but at least they’re going about it quietly. He threatened that if he didn’t have a body in front of him within the hour, heads would roll.”

“That ought to work to the advantage of whoever’s on their way,” Fili suggested.  “So what can we do to make it easier?”  

“I have no idea, but we’ve got nothing better to do than sit here and think about it I suppose.”

Kili fell silent after that and Fili used the quiet to do just what his brother had suggested: think.   It was hard to concentrate with his body feeling the way it did, but he tried just the same. 

Something that Kili had said tickled at the back of his mind…that Bolg had mentioned they had the best weapons specialists. Immediately, his thoughts went back to all the questions Bolg had asked about the Arkenstone.  The more he thought about it, the more his head swam, but he was becoming more and more certain that the Stone had a secret history that he hadn’t yet been made aware of.  When they got home… _if they got home_ …his Uncle Thorin was going to have some explaining to do. 

***

Sigrid made her way to the side of the detention wing and looked for a way up onto the roof.   She spotted a few barrels, similar to those they had come across in the yard and silently stalked over to them.  They were full of diesel fuel and she calculated in her head just how large an explosion they would make if she needed to create a diversion.  Subconsciously she fingered the grenades still attached to her utility belt, making sure all were accounted for; an action that calmed her rising nerves. 

She hopped up onto a barrel and grabbed onto the rainspout attached to the low building.  The roof was only one story up, so it would be a short climb, but before she could shimmy her way up, a door just around the corner from where she was opened and two Orcs exited the building.  Sigrid pushed herself as far into the wall as she could and held her breath, clinging to the pipe and trying her best to blend in with the darkness around her.  The two made their way by her and didn’t even spare a glance Sigrid’s way, caught up as they were in a story one was telling that the other was laughing at.  She exhaled quietly and made her way up as fast and silently as possible. 

Once she was on the roof, she had a commanding view of the compound around her.  Only one of the buildings was more than one story, and that was all the way across the yard.  On the surface, everything appeared calm and subdued, but Sigrid knew that looks could be deceiving.  She made her way to the far end of the roof where she knew the loading dock that Tauriel and Legolas would be using to enter the building was and noticing that there were no guards in sight, radioed this information to her compatriots. 

“Songbird to Starlight,” she whispered.

“Go ahead Songbird,” was Tauriel’s quiet reply.

“Your incursion has a green light,” she said. 

“Copy that.”

She then made her way back to the front of the building to keep an eye on the main door to the detention wing.  It wouldn’t due to have them all taken by surprise. 

***

Tauriel was uncharacteristically nervous as she and Legolas made their way to the loading dock on the far side of the target building.  Her little team was as prepared for this mission as they could make themselves with what limited information they had to go on, but it wasn’t enough in Tauriel’s book; then again, it was never enough.  She was one of those annoying, purpose filled people who liked to prepare beyond belief, but sometimes, even she knew, you just had to roll the dice.  If they failed, they risked not only the princes’ lives, but their own as well.  She was no stranger to her life being in peril, but never before had it been for such high priority assets.    If the princes fell, Erebor would be thrown into a nasty succession war for the throne, which could destabilize the entire region.  She saw clearly now the reasons why Dragonsbane had offered her team’s services as rescue party.  They were hands down the best at what they did and had a field record to back up what most thought of as boasting.  

What had made them the best was a good bit of luck and their unfaltering trust in each other; honed by countless missions where they had bled, sweat and survived together.  Her thoughts touched not only on their first one, infiltrating the fortress at Dol Goldur, but on all of the subsequent endeavors as well; the time they broke into the secure facility at Orthanc to recover classified documents that had been stolen from a Mirkwood weapons lab, the time her team led an amphibious assault on the shores of Dol Amroth during the Tirith-Ithil War, which had resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Rhun insurgents that had been bound for the river leading to the already beleaguered city of Osgiliath.  There were so many instances of them surviving by the skin of their teeth, she found herself unable to focus. 

Tauriel felt Legolas’ hand as it rested on her shoulder.  It was a silent show of understanding.  She knew he was remembering as well and hoping like she was that whichever of the Valar had been protecting them thus far, didn’t abandon them before this mission ended. 

Just as they were about to round the corner of the building, two guards walked into view, laughing and chatting loudly together.  She and Legolas plastered themselves to the wall of the building and readied their weapons.  She had been hoping to avoid such a public display of violence, but they were here for a purpose and nothing was going to stop them.    The weapons proved to be unnecessary however as the two Orcs strode right past where they were without so much as a break in their gait.  She glanced at Legolas who simply shrugged and didn’t question their good fortune. 

The loading dock was still about 15 meters away when she heard the comm in her ear click on and Sigrid’s low call to her. 

“Songbird to Starlight,” she whispered.

“Go ahead Songbird,” was Tauriel’s quiet reply.

“Your incursion has a green light,” she said. 

“Copy that.”

_This was it._   She shared one last glance with Legolas who exhaled deeply and then kissed his rifle.  Together, they made their way to the other end of the building.

***

As they closed in on the dock, Legolas reached behind him with his free arm and loosened the scabbards of his knives.  It wouldn’t do to have to fight with his weapons when he needed ready access to them.  His life, or more importantly Tauriel’s or Sigrid’s, might depend on them.  He noticed a junction box on the wall just next to the platform where the doors were.  They hadn’t planned to cut the power, but the knowledge of where the box was may prove useful at some point. He filed it away after pointing it out to Tauriel. She nodded, knowing without words what he was implying. 

Silently, Legolas knelt and held his hands in a basket to give Tauriel a boost onto the platform.  Once she was up, he turned his attention to the surrounding area, taking note of the terrain they would traverse to get to the wall again.  He could see it in the distance…it was perhaps ninety to a hundred meters away, but they still had the darkness on their side.  He glanced at his watch then and saw that dawn would be on its way soon, however.  When he next looked up, it was to see Tauriel peeking into the building through a porthole type window in the door.  There was a low light coming from inside.  She motioned for him to join her and he hoisted himself to the edge of the platform at her feet.   He stayed low, eyes and ears focused solely on their surroundings still. 

In the barest whisper, he heard Tauriel say “Two guards, backs to us, watching a bank of monitors in infrared”.  She kept watching as Legolas reached onto his tactical belt and grabbed the can of white lithium grease spray he kept specifically for potentially squeaky hinges.   It wasn’t standard issue, but after spending so much time in the most decrepit, old, leaky, musty disgusting buildings on Arda (because let’s face it, terrorists don’t choose a place for its comforts), certain tricks you learned became second nature.  Stealth was their objective; anything less and their lives might be forfeit.  He quickly applied it to both doors’ pins and gave Tauriel a thumbs-up to let her know he was done. 

Ever so slowly, Tauriel pushed on the door and to Legolas’ great relief, it opened silently.  She ducked inside and he followed quickly after. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So next time, we're going to get down and dirty and violent! Just preparing you :) Hope you enjoyed the update and thanks again for sticking with the story!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is actually the second half of the last chapter. It was getting long and I hated to split it, but that is why this update comes so quickly. I mentioned it last time, but this story is about to get very bloody, very quickly so for the squeamish, I'm sorry! Hope its still enjoyable :)

As they entered the building, neither of the Orc guards made any indication they’d heard anything amiss.  They could not take the chance of leaving any witnesses alive however, so Legolas stalked up behind the guard on the right and Tauriel followed suit with the one on the left, knowing what had to be done.  The two soldiers stood behind the Orcs for a moment and shared a look that could only be described as nervously eager; as both were more than champing at the bit for this mission to be over.  They readied their knives and after a silent count of three, struck hard and fast at the guards from behind. 

Tauriel could tell right away that she had not made clean contact.   Her guard’s neck was thick and he had moved his head at the last second, not aware she was behind him about to administer a death blow.  He started gasping and flailing and so she now had to struggle to sever his jugular vein.  Blood had begun spraying everywhere; on the monitors in front of them, on her, on the floor, and the grip she had on her knife was slipping.  Tauriel saw out of the corner of her eye that Legolas had thankfully not had such a problem; his designated guard already dead.  The truth, was he had all but decapitated his target with his double blades.  He turned to assist her then, but just as Legolas was about to slice the Orc’s throat, the guard unexpectedly lurched forward and slammed his hand down on the control console.  Immediately, a high pitched siren sounded and shouts could be heard from outside.  Tauriel withdrew her blade and quickly slammed it into the other side of the wheezing Orc’s neck, just at the dip where it met his shoulder.  Seconds later, he collapsed dead to the floor. 

“Quickly now!” shouted Tauriel over the incessant drone of the alarm.  “We wont have much time!”

“Which cell is theirs?!” Legolas yelled back as he sprinted down the long hallway ahead of them.    

“They're in room one!  Hurry!” she called to him as she studied the control panel for a master release lever which might open the interrogation rooms.  She could not locate one and rather than waste any more time, quickly followed after Legolas. 

Halfway down the hallway, they could hear gunfire from outside and knew that Sigrid had engaged the enemy.  The two quickly cleaned and re-sheathed their blades, then grabbed for their rifles.  _No sense in being quiet now_ , thought Tauriel. 

***

Lying on her belly to remain unseen on the rooftop, rifle resting in its bipod, her eye to the scope, Sigrid wasn't surprised when the alarm started to sound around her.   In seconds, shouting erupted from all over the complex and she could see guards running every which way in confusion, wondering where the alarm had originated from. 

It was still quite dark, but there were hints of burnt umber creeping into the horizon.  The sun would be truly on the rise soon which meant they were running out of time.  She glanced at her watch and confirmed that they had less than an hour to reach the extraction point. 

Sigrid had been expecting it, but her nerves still shifted into high gear at the sight of at least nine guards quickly making their way towards her location.  She leveled her rifle at the coming onslaught and took a deep breath.  Her finger closed around the trigger and she wasted no time in sniping off the two lead guards.  This of course caused the others to stop in their tracks and scatter to take cover.  _That should buy Tauriel and Legolas some time,_ she thought. 

***

Inside the holding room, Kili was shocked into sober clarity by the alarm that was now sounding from everywhere.  He heard gunfire and immediately strained to look out the one bar covered window he could see.  It wasn’t yet dawn and he could make out the sweep of the search lights as they crisscrossed one another through the darkness.  He then glanced over at his brother, who had perked up considerably as well at the shouting that was now accompanying the gunshots they were hearing. 

Out in the hallway, he could hear loud voices and more gunfire, which sounded close at hand.  Kili would never have admitted to it, but he was scared out of his mind; still with hands bound behind him and unsure of what was coming for him and his brother.  He felt terribly helpless in that moment, like his life had been taken completely out of his control,  He wondered what he could do if things went from bad to worse, and the answer came back a resounding " _nothing_ ".  For his part, Fili sat in his chair as stoically as one bound and beaten could.  It gave Kili a shot of strength to see his brother respond so calmly to what was happening.  He then made an effort to steady his own breathing in an attempt to slow his thundering heartbeat.  

After a few more gun shots and loud thuds that Kili thought could have been bodies hitting the floor, the yelling in the hallway ceased and someone tried the doorknob.   The door had been locked on Bolg’s departure and it was obvious to Kili that whoever was trying to enter was without the key.  There were a few moments of nothing other than the alarm that was still blaring, but then he could hear movement around the edges of the doorway.  Not long after, he heard the unmistakable voice of a woman as she yelled “Fire in the hole!”  He only had seconds to close his eyes and turn his head before a loud blast erupted at the doorway. 

There was smoke billowing all around him and Kili couldn’t hold back the reflex to cough; he could hear Fili wheezing beside him as well.  There was light now in the small room and through the murky haze created by the explosion, he could see that the door had been blown inward, barely hanging on its hinges.  He then observed two figures, clad head to toe in dark tactical gear entering the room, one stooping to him and the other making for Fili. 

“We’re with Mirkwood Special Forces.” It was the voice he had heard from the hallway. 

 _Mirkwood!?  How in all of Arda were soldiers from the Woodland Realm here of all places?_ He supposed it could have been far, far worse and so he prepared to respond to her, but she continued:

“My call sign is Starlight and my partner there is Golden Boy.  We’re here to rescue you, but we must hurry!”  The woman went on again before he could reply.

“How badly are you injured?  Can you speak?”

“Pretty sure my nose is broken, possibly a cracked rib and my arms feel like they’re gonna fall off, along with a whole litany of other painful shit we can discuss later, but other than that I’m ready to get the fuck out of here ma’am,” he answered eagerly and honestly.  She smiled at him then and he felt some of the immense tension he was experiencing release.  Before he knew it, she had cut his bonds and was helping him stand; guiding him quickly to the door and out into the hallway.  Fili, with Golden Boy’s assistance was right behind them. 

“Starlight to Sonbird,” the woman said into a comm device Kili now noticed she had around her neck.  He couldn’t hear if this Songbird person had replied but Starlight went on as though they had. 

“We’ve secured Lion and Raven.  Leave a party favor for our friends and meet us at the back door, Starlight out.”

Kili could see double doors directly ahead of them now, but before they got any further, he heard the whiz of a bullet as it flew past his right ear.  He was immediately pushed to the ground by Starlight who threw herself in front of him, gun drawn and returning fire down the hallway.  Fili and Golden Boy had found shelter in the nook of a doorway and the other soldier was also firing on the Orc guards, keeping Fili securely behind him.   

***

Fili couldn’t believe what was happening.  He hadn’t been as sold as Kili on the idea that someone had been sent for them, but it was hard to deny now that the best warriors from a nation often at odds with his own were risking their lives to save his and Kili’s hides.  It was most probably because they were royalty, but regardless of the reason, the fact that they had come for them in the first place wasn’t lost on Fili.  As far as he was concerned, if they survived this, Mirkwood would forever be a favored ally of Erebor. 

His rescuer, Golden Boy, as the man had identified himself, currently had Fili pinned up against a doorframe, attempting to shield him from the Orc guards shooting at them from the other end of the long hallway they were trying to traverse.    Across from him, his brother had been thrown to the ground by the female soldier, who he could tell from the black bars on her black uniform, was the Captain of the unit.  She was a force of nature as she parried gunfire with the Orcs.  Fili could tell she had a keen eye and was as cool as a cucumber under the pressure; he was impressed.  He watched, around Golden Boy, as the two Mirkwood soldiers took down guard after guard, _sometimes two at a time._   And then, all of a sudden, Golden Boy was slammed back into him and he felt fresh blood on his hands where he had put them up to stop the man’s fall. 

Immediately, Starlight stood up with a snarl and went on the offensive.  Yelling out a battle cry, she downed one guard, and then another, but before she could reload her spent clip an even louder explosion than the one at their cell, rocked the entire building and the ceiling collapsed on top of the remaining few guards. 

“Golden Boy!” the woman began as she ran to where Fili was holding up her bleeding comrade. 

“Just a flesh wound boss,” the man joked, “but I don’t think my right arm is all that usable at the moment,” he said, as his voice hitched in pain. 

She then turned to Fili and asked, “Ever fire a Mirkwood AR 15 Special?” And when Fili shook his head to indicate that no, he hadn’t, she replied “Well, I hope you’re a fast learner, and…be careful, those bullets pack a punch,” and then proceeded to hand him Golden Boy’s rifle.  Turning to his brother, she asked “What about you?  Can you fire a pistol?” 

“I’ve done some skeet, and used a hand gun a couple of times, but Fi’s the soldier in our family,” Kili replied seriously and then added, “I’m better with my fists to be honest.”

“Well, just be careful not to shoot your foot off,” she began as she handed him a .9mm that had moments before been holstered on her tactical belt.   

“Can you both walk?  Golden Boy is losing blood fast and we need to get him somewhere I can patch him up before we try to make our way out of this shit hole,” she said. 

Fili immediately responded by getting to his feet and moving over to help his brother off the floor, shouldering the rifle she had handed him.  “We’ll manage.  Lead the way.”

Scooping up Golden Boy, she pulled his arm over her shoulder and the four of them made their way to the double doors that meant freedom. 

***

Still blessedly under the cover of darkness, Sigrid began methodically picking off guards as they stood up to gauge where her bullets were flying from.  The Orcs weren’t particularly adept to being the ones being fired on and, using this to her advantage, she found they were easy targets.  

From inside the building, she heard a loud bang and knew that meant Tauriel had blown the holding cell door.  It would only be a few more minutes before they could all get out of this place, so she hunkered down to reload her rifle.  While she was taking aim again, her comm buzzed in her ear and sure enough, it was Tauriel letting her know they were ready to leave. 

“Starlight to Sonbird,” came her Captain’s call. 

“Songbird here,” she answered readily. 

“We’ve secured Lion and Raven.  Leave a party favor for our friends and meet us at the back door, Starlight out.”

Immediately, Sigrid sighted through her scope one last time and took out three more guards in quick succession before finally shouldering her rifle and gathering up her gear.  She grabbed an incendiary grenade off her belt, set the timer for thirty seconds and then dropped it over the side of the building just behind the two fuel barrels she had used to ascend to the roof.  As quick as she could, she made her way to the other end and dropped down to the ground. 

Just as she landed, she heard the explosion as the fuel barrels went up and that part of the building collapsed on itself.   A minute or two later, Tauriel came plowing through the loading bay door, with a wounded Legolas in tow; the two princes, badly bruised and bleeding themselves, but now armed, followed quickly behind. 

“Songbird!  Golden Boy’s been shot.  I’m going to need to sort him out before we attempt the wall.” 

Sigrid’s stomach dropped at the sight of him, but turned on the spot and saw a dark building just across the way from where they were.  “Over here!” she shouted to Tauriel. 

Quickly, the five of them, with Sigrid now assisting to hold Legolas up, made their way to the other building, only to find a locked door blocking the way. 

“We’ll need to find someplace else and quickly!” Tauriel said ruefully.

“Wait! Boss…keys!” Legolas leaned against the wall and pushed Tauriel away.  He grabbed with his uninjured left arm for the set of keys Sigrid remembered him taking from the Ocrs they had killed on the wall.  He unhooked them and shoved them into Tauriel’s hand.  She then quickly began trying each one to see if any were a match. 

“Just shoot the lock,” hissed the dark haired prince, impatiently. 

“We can’t,” his brother answered matter of factly as Sigrid watched their rear.  “If we shoot it, we can’t relock it behind us and the gunshot would alert more guards to our location.”   Even through the swelling and bruising on his face, she could tell the younger brother had been chastened. 

“Sorry,” he said sheepishly.  “I’m just not used to this.” 

“No worries mate, just let Starlight work,” she said to him kindly, as she placed a hand on his shoulder.  After all, he and his brother _had_ been through a terrible ordeal; and it wasn’t over yet.  In fairness, Sigrid felt they were actually faring much better than she had expected they would.  

After that, they all held their breath, as if scared any noise might bring the nine circles of hell down around their heads.  At the soft click of the opened lock, a collective relieved sigh went up as they stumbled inside the dark building.   

Once they were all in, Sigrid re-locked the door behind them and slid down to block it with her body.  The room was utterly dark and everyone remained silent, as they could now here guards investigating on the other side of the door.  One of them actually tried to open the door, but feeling it was still locked, quickly moved on.  Another round of soft exhales went up. 

“Boss, I’m gonna break out one of my personnel marker lights,” Sigrid whispered to Tauriel in the darkness. 

“Copy that Songbird…go ahead,” was the soft reply.   

One handed, Sigrid grabbed and cracked her PML and suddenly, the darkness disappeared and she could see four faces looking at her in the bright green light that it threw.  Quickly, she moved over to where Tauriel had Legolas laying on the ground and began to inspect his wound. 

_“Mahal!  What the fuck is that?!”_

Sigrid heard the gasped question, but was unsure which of the princes had uttered it.  When she looked up to see, it didn’t matter who had spoken.  Both were staring at a point deeper inside the room with the same expression on their faces… _fear._

When she saw what they were looking at, she knew why. 

 _Oh Valar! What the_ hell _were they supposed to do now?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And this is where I leave you...for now :) I have other works that I owe updates to so the next update here will not come as fast, but thank you so much to all who are reading. Your support is awesomely appreciated :)

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure how often I will be updating this, but I do plan to!


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